New Bern
The Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a three-year contract with SoundThinking, the company that produces the gunshot detection system ShotSpotter. The contract is for $49,500 annually with a one-time installation fee of $16,000. Police Chief Patrick Gallagher said his department will pay for the installation fee. Aldermen Bobby Aster offered to pay for the first year with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that were allocated to his ward, which does not cover the ShotSpotter location.
The second and third years are currently unfunded. Chief Gallagher is now tasked with finding local businesses and nonprofits to sponsor ShotSpotter. Mayor Jeffrey Odham addressed Chief Gallagher after the vote on Tuesday.
"I'm hoping that after we've had this in place for a few month, you're going to be able to come back and present to us the findings and what this tool has been doing and that it would convince us that even if we had to pay for it, that it would be a good investment," Odham said.
ShotSpotter uses a network of microphones to capture loud bangs, identify the location to within 25 feet, and notify police within a minute of the bang. The system will cover one square mile over the Duffyfield area, where most of the city's gunshots occur, according to Chief of Police Patrick Gallagher. Gallagher says the system will help police respond more quickly to gun fire even without a 911 call.
Also at its Tuesday meeting, the Board accepted grant funds from the N.C. Department of Public Safety for the purchase of an underwater remote operated vehicle (ROV) for the New Bern Police Department. The $72,000 grant will fully cover the cost of the underwater ROV. Gallagher told the Board the ROV will be used to help to collect evidence and conduct rescue missions.
Greenville
The Greenville City Council postponed considering a $500,000 incentive package to attract an unnamed solar panel manufacturer to Indigreen Corporate Park. According to the Pitt County Economic Development Department, the manufacturer could create up to 908 local jobs. Earlier this month, the Pitt County Board of Commissioners approved its portion of the incentive package -- dubbed "Project Gen." Altogether, Project Gen is worth $307 million in tax incentives and grants, with more than $9 million coming from Pitt County, the City of Greenville, Greenville Utilities, and the Greenville Eastern North Carolina Alliance. The Pitt County Director of Economic Development told the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 4 that the county is competing with towns in Georgia and Arizona to attract the solar panel manufacturer.
Contracts for improvements to Guy Smith Stadium and Dream Park were also approved. The Stadium project will increase capacity to 1,500 seats and add more restrooms and concessions. Don Octigan, director of Greenville’s Recreation and Parks, said the improvements will allow the city to host the Coastal Plain League, a collegiate summer baseball league.
The Council also previewed new art sculptures that will be coming to the city. Each year the DownEast Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition selects 16 sculptures from a juried competition to display throughout Pitt County. Five of those pieces will be on display in Greenville starting in February.
Goldsboro
Goldsboro is one of 14,000 cities across the U.S. that have signed on to settlements with major chemical companies over PFAS contamination. The first settlement, worth $1 billion in total, is with Dupont, Chemours and Corteva. The second settlement, worth $10-12 billion, is with the Minnesota-based conglomerate 3M.
The money from the settlements is earmarked for water systems upgrades and PFAS filtration systems. PFAS is a class of chemicals that have been linked to adverse health conditions, including liver damage and some cancers. They’re used in manufacturing a wide range of products, including water- and fire-resistant items. They’re known as “forever chemicals” for their long lifespans.
Any U.S. water system with measurable PFAS contamination is eligible. According to NCDEQ reports from last year that sampled 50 cities around North Carolina, Greenville, Goldsboro, Smithfield and Rocky Mount have all tested for levels that exceed guidelines.
In June 2017, The Wilmington Star-News broke the story that Chemours’ Fayetteville Works Plant had been dumping a chemical named GenX into the Cape Fear River. The Chemours plant in Fayetteville has been under a consent order with the state to reform its PFAS disposal and storage since 2019.
Critics of the settlements say they are not large enough to cover expensive filtration systems for the number of cities affected. The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, which serves Wilmington and is also a claimant, installed a $43 million system last year.
At its work session Monday, the city received a clean audit from the firm Davenport. Over the last five years, the city’s operating expenses have increased by $5 million to approximately $42 million. Its fund balance doubled since last fiscal year, going from $10.6 million to $21.4 million. It was a welcomed audit since just a few years ago, the city’s fund balance dipped below 15% of its operating expenses in violation of its own policy.
Several private and public organizations are working to preserve Grand Union Station in downtown. In November, the city committed $375,000 to the project. As part of its downtown revitalization project, the Downtown Goldsboro Development Corporation is apply for a grant from the National Park Service’s “Save America’s Treasures” program. If accepted, then more than $2.25 will be dedicated to the Grand Union Station Stabilization Project.
Pitt County
The Pitt County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved millions of dollars in tax breaks and grants to attract a solar panel manufacturer to Indigreen Corporate Park. The tax break spans 7 years and caps out at $8 million. The Board also authorized its portion of an NC Commerce Building Reuse Grant worth $500,000, of which the county is required to match 5% -- about $25,000.
In other solar-related news, the Board voted 6-3 in favor to reclassify 942 acres east of Grifton for a solar farm project. Originally, commissioners voted 5-4 to deny the reclassification at its Nov. 20 meeting. The board had to reconsider the proposal due to a procedural error.
John Eskew, the project's developer who works with Cypress Creek Renewables, told the board on Nov. 20 that construction would likely begin in 2027 if the project is accepted by Duke Energy. He is expecting to hear back from Duke in May.
After a public hearing last night, the Pitt County Board of Commissioners rejected a request to rezone 40 acres on Pactolus Road to allow for a sand mine operation there. The planning commission recommended rezoning the property to allow for the mine, saying it would be consistent with the county’s land use plan; however, the board unanimously rejected it, saying for environmental and other reasons it would not be in the best interest of the county.
Craven County
Craven County is hoping to build new elementary schools in New Bern and Havelock, as well as expand Tucker Creek Middle School in Havelock. Those projects are listed in a grant application to the state, which the Board of Commissioners approved at its Dec. 18 meeting. Chairman Jasons acknowledged the application is a longshot, as Craven County is a Tier-II county in the NC Dept. of Commerce’s “economic distress rankings” competing against Tier I counties who have more challenges. This is the second year Craven County Schools have submitted these projects for the grants.
At its Dec. 4th meeting, Planning Director Chad Strawn notified the Board that his office has received $200,000 from the state Attorney General's office for a shoreline stabilization and flooding mitigation project. The project covers 300 feet of shoreline from downtown New Bern to the Hwy-17/70 off ramp coming in from Bridgeton. That area had been flooded by Hurricane Florence in 2018, damaging the off ramp and putting a nearby water line at risk.
A likely source of E. Coli in Slocum Creek in Havelock has been identified. Water testing this summer at the public boating access at Slocum Creek continually showed high levels of E. coli, and further DNA testing by Sound Rivers showed the source was human waste. The Riverkeepers say the source is likely coming from outdated septic lines near the waterway.
Onslow County
Weapons detection systems will be installed on every Onslow County high school campus. The Onslow County Board of Education unanimously approved the measure at its Dec. 6 meeting. The decision comes after two high-profile incidents within the past year: a fatal stabbing of a student at Northside High School and a shooting across the street from White Oak High School that injured students.
The question before the board was which technology to adopt: a run-of-the-mill metal detector, or a more sophisticated AI screening system. The board chose the latter: Evolv weapons detection systems uses cameras to scan people as they walk through, and an AI software analyzes them for weapons. The system has been installed in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Guilford and Johnston County Schools, and in dozens of other school districts nationwide. The system was also used at this year’s Wings Over Wayne air show at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base.
The board chose Evolv because it allows students to enter the school with little interruption – no long lines or stopping students for random metallic objects. But, the system is not perfect, according to reports from The Intercept, WCNC, and Education Week. In Utica, N.Y., a student stabbed a classmate using a knife that slipped through the system.
Many families expressed approval for the measure, saying it is much needed for peace of mind.
Also on Dec. 6, BOE Chairman Kenny Reddic opened the meeting with a statement addressing allegations from over a year ago of improper process for a contract extension for the superintendent. Earlier this month, board member Angie Todd released a letter accusing the board of evading public scrutiny by amending the agenda with little notice. In it, she asked the offices of the state Attorney General and Onslow County District Attorney to look into the matter.
"Fortunately, the information reported is false and simply does not express the officials actions or expressions of this board, and instead demonstrates a reckless disregard for the truth,” Reddic said.
The allegations come after several lengthy and contentious board meetings, in which Todd questioned the superintendent's direction and response to incidents of violence on campus. Todd did not respond at the meeting, but afterward said Reddic’s characterization was false and that it was her “ethical duty” to seek guidance from judicial authorities.
In other news, Onslow County hosted its first community meeting to discuss its opioid settlement funds. The County will receive $19 million over the next 18 years. At the meeting, county officials shared data of opioid use in the county and how the opioid settlements work.
Finally, people who lived in an Onslow County public housing complex shut down by mold now have access to long-term housing.
Carteret County
The Board of Commissioners postponed a property revaluation until January 1, 2025. Fieldwork has already been completed, according to county officials, with the original effective date set for Jan. 1, 2024, but there have been some complications. County Tax Supervisor Jessica Taylor told the Carteret County News-Times that the revaluation is aimed at ensuring accurate property assessments for tax purposes.
“Initially, the County Tax Administration Office planned to release new tax values in January 2024," Taylor said. "However, the complexity of the process, involving multiple phases to update property assessments across the county, necessitates an extension.”
More than 300 people attended the opening of the new Harkers Island Bridge on Dec. 12. The $60 million bridge connects the Island to the mainland and is the first in the state built mostly with carbon-fiber steel, which is more resilient to corrosion in coastal environments. The bridge replaces two others that are more than five decades old. The swing-span Earl C. Davis bridge will be dismantled, while the other is being converted to a pedestrian walkway.
Emerald Isle approved a new traffic plan for the Bogue Inlet Pier. Put forth by pier owner Mike Stanley, the plan proposes a second exit lane from the property and an automated gate system to be active on days when parking is pay-to-park. The plan will require shifting over the existing bike lane.
The Town of Newport is considering a new splash pad.
